Tobacco-Producing Region Invests Heavily in Infrastructure Construction

Source from:  Guizhou Daily newspaper 07/02/2008

Southwest China's Guizhou Province - a key tobacco-producing region - has invested heavily in the construction of infrastructure facilities for tobacco production in the province, including the establishment of irrigation projects, intensive curing barns, mechanized farming paths and field operation paths, the purchase of farm machinery and the operation of pilot projects of establishing tobacco processing enterprises. By the end of May, Guizhou Province had invested a total of 2.24 billion yuan (320 million U.S. dollars) in the construction of infrastructure facilities for tobacco production, including 1.41 billion yuan (201 million U.S. dollars) in the establishment of irrigation projects capable of irrigating 2.11 million mu (140,667 hectares) of tobacco plantations, and providing drinking water for more than 800,000 rural residents. The heavy investment in the construction of infrastructure facilities for tobacco production has already contributed to significantly improving conditions for both tobacco production and the livelihood of tobacco growers as well as to greatly promoting sustainable development of tobacco production in Guizhou Province. Presently, the construction of infrastructure facilities for tobacco production in Guizhou is under unified leadership of the provincial government, under the guidance of the tobacco industry, with the technical support of water conservation administrative authorities and with the cooperation of all the other sectors concerned. Enditem